Pineiro fills Garcia void

Starter shuts down Rangers, strikes out season-high nine

Joel Pineiro doesn't have time to pout about the departure of a friend. When Freddy Garcia was traded to Chicago, Joel Pineiro became the Mariners' ace of the future.

In his first start since wishing Garcia farewell, Pineiro looked the part last night, keeping the Texas bats quiet to key a 4-3 victory at Safeco Field.

"I think we've got a special guy here," pitching coach Bryan Price said. "I don't see him being a bottom-of-the-rotation guy anywhere he pitches. His stuff's too good, and his makeup's too good."

Pineiro came out of spring training as the No. 2 starter behind Jamie Moyer, the team wanting to challenge and inspire the 25-year-old right-hander. As were most of the Mariners' fortunes, the early results for Pineiro were disastrous, as he lost eight of his first nine decisions.

Then came a June 8 game opposite legendary right-hander Roger Clemens. Pineiro took the loss in a 1-0 game but stood toe to toe with Clemens and came away inspired. He hasn't lost since, and only once in four outings has he allowed more than two earned runs.

"The way he's pitched probably the last four or five times out, he's pitched like that guy that we expect to be that top-of-the-rotation guy," manager Bob Melvin said. "You look at his stuff, and you talk to the scouts and grade him out, he's certainly one of those guys.

"He learned a lot that game when he watched Clemens pitch here, his bravado on the mound and how he goes about his business out there. The fearlessness of, 'Here, my stuff is good enough, go ahead and try to hit it.' I think since that game, he's taken out a whole new attitude on the mound."

Pineiro (4-8, 4.63 ERA) gave up three runs early, thanks to a couple of extra-base hits compounded by a wild pitch and a dropped popup. A 3-0 deficit might have broken him in the past, but Pineiro this time stiffened and held the Rangers scoreless until departing after the seventh.

"Joel pitched a pretty good game," said Aurilia, who hit his fourth homer. "It would have been nice to score about seven or eight, but four was enough tonight."

Bret Boone drove in a pair of runs with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly, and Jolbert Cabrera doubled twice, scoring both times.

Melvin said Pineiro might have gotten a confidence boost from working with an unfamiliar catcher, Miguel Olivo, who was making his Mariners debut. Pitcher and catcher must get to know each other's tendencies, and Pineiro shook off Olivo several times.

"There were some shake-offs, and I think Joel sometimes relies on the catcher too much," Melvin said. "Conviction in the pitch is most important. When you've got great stuff like he does, you're better off throwing a pitch, even if it's the wrong pitch, that you have confidence in."

"I'm not trying to paint the corners," Pineiro said. "I'm not trying to throw that breaking ball nice and easy. I'm throwing it hard and throwing my fastball in, where I should. Just being aggressive has changed the last four or five starts."

The result was nine strikeouts, tying a season high, and a homerless Texas lineup 24 hours after the Rangers hit five balls out in the series opener.

With the complexion of the Seattle rotation changing from the experienced, rock-solid five-man group it once was to an amoebic entity likely to change consistently, Pineiro has a chance to step up as a leader. Price said Pineiro is showing that he's ready.

"I think we tried to heap too much on Freddy early in his career," Price said. "I think the pitcher steps up and says, 'Hey, I'm ready for that.' It's not something where we tell him it's his turn.

"(Joel) is becoming, as a young guy, an elder statesman. You've got Jamie, who has the most experience, obviously, and Joel and (Ryan) Franklin are about the same. Then the other two guys we have in our rotation right now have no experience."

Pineiro and Olivo will gain experience together. Last night Pineiro shook him off and at one point told the catcher he was giving the signs too quickly.

"It's a 50-50 thing," Pineiro said. "He's got to be behind me, and I've got to be behind him."

"He asked me to slow down the signs, and everything was fine after that," Olivo said. "He threw everything with good control. He did the job, and everybody's happy."